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Dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absence in adolescent girls and a common problem in women of reproductive age. Risk factors for dysmenorrhea include nulliparity, heavy menstrual flow, smoking, and depression. Empiric therapy can be initiated based on a typical history of painful menses and a negative physical examination. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the initial therapy of choice in patients with presumptive primary dysmenorrhea. Oral contraceptives and depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate also may be considered. If pain relief is insufficient, prolonged-cycle oral contraceptives or intravaginal use of oral contraceptive pills can be considered. In women who do not desire hormonal contraception, there is some evidence of benefit with the use of topical heat; the Japanese herbal remedy toki-shakuyaku-san; thiamine, vitamin E, and fish oil supplements; a low-fat vegetarian diet; and acupressure. If dysmenorrhea remains uncontrolled with any of these approaches, pelvic ultrasonography should be performed and referral for laparoscopy should be considered to rule out secondary causes of dysmenorrhea. In patients with severe refractory primary dysmenorrhea, additional safe alternatives for women who want to conceive include transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, acupuncture, nifedipine, and terbutaline. Otherwise, the use of danazol or leuprolide may be considered and, rarely, hysterectomy. The effectiveness of surgical interruption of the pelvic nerve pathways has not been established.
(Am Fam Physician 2005;71:285-91, 292. Copyright© 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians.)
Primary dysmenorrhea, which is defined as painful menses in women with normal pelvic anatomy, usually begins during adolescence. It is characterized by crampy pelvic pain beginning shortly before or at the onset of menses and lasting one to three days. Dysmenorrhea also may be secondary to pelvic organ pathology.
The prevalence of dysmenorrhea is highest in adolescent women, with estimates ranging from 20 to 90 percent, depending on the measurement method used.1-3 About 15 percent of adolescent girls report severe dysmenorrhea,1,4 and it is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absenteeism in adolescent girls in the United States.2,5 A longitudinal study6 of a representative cohort of Swedish women found a prevalence of dysmenorrhea of 90 percent in women 19 years of age and 67 percent in women 24 years of age. Ten percent of the 24-year-olds reported pain that interfered with daily function. Most adolescents self-medicate with over-the-counter...